


The Dork and the Delinquent

by these_emo_thoughts



Category: One Piece
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Childhood Friends, First Crush, First Kiss, High School, KidLaw Exchange 2020, M/M, Passage of time, Teenagers, but it's really fluffy i promise, slight angsty backstory for Kid because i can't help myself, small section on bullying but it's really some of the worst generation being assholes so whats new, soft
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-25
Updated: 2020-12-25
Packaged: 2021-03-11 05:00:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,817
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28319361
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/these_emo_thoughts/pseuds/these_emo_thoughts
Summary: Snippets of important moments in the lives of Kid and Law from the first time they met as children to their high-school years.
Relationships: Eustass Kid/Trafalgar D. Water Law
Comments: 14
Kudos: 47
Collections: KidLaw Exchange 2020





	The Dork and the Delinquent

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Onehyperboi](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Onehyperboi/gifts).



> A gift for [Onehyperboi!](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Onehyperboi/profile) I was so psyched to be your Secret Santa! I know it doesn't touch on everything you may have wanted (I recently came back from a trip where I had very limited time to research and work on this uwu) but I hope you enjoy it all the same! I had a blast writing it~ Happy Holidays!
> 
> Tags/Warnings: Not many BUT I'm a paranoid bean and would like to make sure everything is okay since this is the first time I make a General work:  
> \- Divorced parents and a child dealing with emotions about feeling abandoned  
> \- Mentions of fights and one instance of a bruised face/black eye  
> \- Descriptions of kissing (two times in slightly more detail)  
> \- LIGHT swearing (shit x 3, damn x 1, hell x 1, darn x 3)  
> \- One scene of bullying, nothing too deep as it's resolved quickly  
> \- Kid & Law are teens in this but there is nothing that warrants an 'Underage' tag (I don't think? Unless kissing counts? I honestly don't know and I will revise tags if I've made a mistake but everything is super tame uwu)

When Eustass Kid was eight, a new family moved into the house next door.

He remembered the day very clearly. It was hot, disgustingly so, the air stagnant and the rays of the sun warm on his sunburnt skin. The young red-headed boy had been walking home from school when he saw the moving van parked at the kerb in front of the house next door, and a shiny silver car pulling up in the driveway very shortly after.

Kid was curious. What eight-year-old wouldn’t be, after knowing they were going to get new neighbours? The previous house owners had been an elderly couple who – while polite and frequently brought over brownies they had baked for Kid and his mother – were quiet and boring. Kid was sure his new neighbours would be much more interesting, and his mind was spinning with possibilities as he quickly jogged up the porch to his house. _What if it’s a firefighter?_ He thought to himself as he used the key under the ‘WELCOME’ doormat to let himself in. _Or a police officer? Oh! What if they let me ride in the back of the car with the sirens on!?_

“So cool.” Kid muttered to himself, lost in his fantasies as he dumped his bag in the hallway before heading towards the kitchen to grab a cold drink of water. His sandy coloured eyes scanned over the countertop at the hand-written note his mother had taped on there, as was customary since she had picked up extra shifts at one of her jobs as a nurse and aged-care worker; ‘dinner is leftovers, will be late home so heat up in microwave, love mum’. He sighed, downing his drink and wiping his lips with the back of his hand. He had barely seen his mother, but that wasn’t unusual. He was a latch-key kid, had been since last year, after his parents had divorced and his mother picked up an extra job to keep food on their table. She worked hard and Kid was at a perceptive enough age to know it was for their benefit, but he hated that he was lonely all the time.

_Maybe… maybe my new neighbours have a kid like me._

Setting his glass in the sink, Kid made for the door again, closing it behind him and running to the short wooden fence that separated his house from his neighbours. He peaked over curiously, watching as a tall man with dark hair and glasses directed the workers from the moving van into the house. When he saw Kid staring at him, a wide, friendly smile appeared on his face.

“Well, hello there,” He said cheerfully, giving Kid a short wave from where he was standing.

Kid gripped the top of the fence, shyly bending down so that only the top of his head and his eyes were showing. “H-hi.” He greeted back. “You’re my new neighbour?”

“I am.” The man confirmed. “And you must live next door?”

Kid nodded quickly. “Yeah. Me and my mum. She’s at work right now but she’d be here if she could.” He told him, using the line his mother always gave him when she was busy.

“I see. Thank you for greeting me on her behalf.” The man said with a light chuckle. “I’m Doctor Trafalgar.”

Kid’s eyes widened. A doctor? That was pretty cool! As long as this man wasn’t scary like Kid’s doctor in town or the one at school who snapped at him whenever he grazed his knee in the playground then he was sure he’d like him. Maybe he was one of the nice ones that gave their patients lollipops after a visit – that would be sweet.

“I’m Kid.” The boy said with confidence, pulling himself upward so that he was now standing instead of kneeling behind the fence. He stuck out his hand, watching as the man raised an eyebrow in amusement before shaking it lightly. “And I’m eight.”

“Ah, I have a son around your age.” Doctor Trafalgar said. “Would you like to meet him?”

Kid nodded eagerly.

As if on cue, the front door to the house opened. The workers came out first, chatting to themselves as they made their way to the van to help unpack the load, and following shortly was a sandy-haired woman carrying a sleeping toddler in one arm and holding the hand of a child in the other. Doctor Trafalgar smiled, beckoning the others over. “Sweetie, come on down. Bring Law with you.”

Kid watched as the rest of the family approach the fence. The woman gave him a kind smile, lightly rocking the toddler in her arms. “Good afternoon.” She said in a soft voice.

“Hiya,” Kid greeted, grabbing the top of the fence and pulling himself up. He leapt over it easily, landing in front of the boy that was holding onto bottom of his mother’s shirt. He was so excited to meet another child, even if the other didn’t look like he reciprocated that feeling. “I live next door.”

“This is my wife,” Doctor Trafalgar told him, planting a soft kiss upon the woman’s cheek. She smiled and introduced herself as ‘Doctor Trafalgar’ too, which had Kid gawking up at them in surprise that _both_ of them were doctors, thinking they must be really smart. “And these are our children, Law and Lami.”

“I’m Kid!” Kid said excitedly to the boy. Law’s eyes widened slightly before he slowly inched himself behind his mother’s leg. She chuckled, resting a hand on Law’s head and petting it affectionately.

“He’s a little shy, but I’m sure he’s very happy to meet you.” She told Kid. Law nodded, fingers gripping onto the hem of her shirt. “Would you two like to play?”

“Yeah!” Kid shouted, his mind already wandering to his toys so that he could show them all to his new neighbour. “I’ll go and get some games!”

Without saying another word Kid had leapt over the fence again, excited and practically unstoppable.

Law watched on, looking up at his parents. “Please don’t make me play with that kid.” He begged.

“Now Law,” His father started with a sigh, bending down on his knee so he was face-to-face with his son. “We’re not going to make you do anything, but think about how nice it would be to have a friend so close by.”

“All my friends are back home.” Law said stubbornly. His parents had been very forthcoming about why they had decided to move into the city – better job opportunities in the hospitals here – but he didn’t have to like it or agree with it. He made that very known by sulking the entire car-ride over.

“Sweetie, _this_ is home now.” His mother told him. “I know it’s hard, but it’s also very exciting. You get to go to a new school, we’ll be working at a great hospital…”

“That’s right. Plus, you have a neighbour your age right next door. And he’s very friendly – you were worried about that, right? Wouldn’t you rather try making a friend instead of being all alone here while we organise all the furniture?”

Law bit his lip, glancing away from his parents. He had divulged before leaving his old home in the North Line about how he was distressed about meeting new people, worried that he wouldn’t be liked or even make a friend at all. An opportunity was presenting itself right now with his next-door neighbour… should he take it? If only to appease his parents?

Yeah. Playing with that kid that was already proving to be too loud and annoying for his tastes as a better alternative than continuing his sulking session alone in his room. “Fine. I’ll play with him.” Law decided.

“Don’t go too far,” his mother warned.

Law grumbled an ‘okay’, noticing that Kid was returning with an armful of toys and a large smile on his face. He couldn’t leap over the fence with all the items he was carrying so Law moved to help him, picking a few up and putting them on the grass while the rest of his family disappeared into the house.

“What do you wanna do first? I have a kick ball and some board games and marbles and cards and-”

“Uh, why don’t you pick?” Law interrupted, settling onto the prickly grass as Kid pointed out a few of the games he had brought with him.

“Let’s play marbles!” Kid told him, grabbing Law’s hand dropping a red and yellow coloured ball into it. “Here, this is my favourite one.”

“Don’t you want to use it?” Law asked, thinking that if it was the other’s favourite, why would he give it away so easily?

Kid’s smile widened, and for the first time Law noticed just how bright it was. “Well since you’re going to be my new friend, you can use it! Just don’t lose it, okay?”

“O-oh.” Law stammered, holding onto the marble tightly as he watched Kid set up the rest of them. “Thank you. I… I’ll look forward to being your friend, then.”

Law had just said that to be polite. Sure he may not have been seeking friendship immediately after moving to a new place, but he seemed to have fallen into one with the next-door neighbour’s kid without meaning to. Their first meeting on the day Law arrived in the Grand Line was more enjoyable than he could have imagined, and Law found himself actually looking forward to more of them in the future.

**\---------**

When Law was twelve, he realised that he was developing feelings on his next-door neighbour.

He recognised the signs, even if he hadn’t experienced them before. He had watched enough television shows and read enough teen-centred books for leisure to understand what the woozy feeling in his tummy was whenever he looked at Kid. So many people describe it as butterflies, a light, ticklish sensation rooted deep in the pit of their stomachs; it felt a lot like that to Law too. He had always dismissed such a ridiculous notion, rolling his grey eyes at sentences in the books he read about the main character glancing at their love interest and immediately getting that ‘fluttery’ feeling. The joke was definitely on Law now, but he wasn’t laughing.

He had a darn crush on his stupid neighbour.

Kid, with his wide, toothy, cheeky grin that stretched from ear to ear. With messy red-hair that a hairbrush had forgotten. With amber eyes that shined like the sun.

Gosh. Law really hated that the sight of him would set his tummy aflutter like in those stupid romance novels.

He couldn’t eat sometimes, when Kid was around. At he was around _a lot._ Kid’s mother worked long hours, rarely ever getting a break long enough to come home and spend time with her son. Kid lived off of microwaved leftovers, if he was lucky, and cereal and toast if he wasn’t; hardly a hearty meal for a growing boy. Law’s mother had graciously informed her neighbour that she was happy to have Kid over the Trafalgar’s house a few times a week for lunch or dinner, so the red-haired boy was in constant proximity to Law.

It hadn’t been such an issue at first, when Law only saw Kid as his goofy friend who had welcomed him so warmly when he had moved to the Grand Line. A child who had an obsession with robots and mecha-anime, always trying to draw a grumpy Law into pretend games where they were astronauts trying to fend off aliens from destroying the earth – which, Law would never admit aloud, he actually enjoyed playing. He hadn’t expected his perception of Kid to ever be anything different.

Law figured he could pinpoint exactly when it happened, too, that his feelings started to change. He had a strong idea it had something to do with one of their sleepovers a few months ago. Kid always slept over, and Law would too if Kid’s mum was home early. They had just built separate forts – Kid’s one surprisingly structurally sound while Law’s was just a mess of pillows and blankets – before engaging in an all-out war for fort supremacy. They used Kid’s nerf guns which they _technically_ weren’t supposed to be using in the house, but got such a kick out of using they couldn’t help but break the rules. There had been giggling and laughter and some tackling when Law’s fort finally collapsed on itself…

“Gotcha!” Kid had cried in excitement. They had been rough-housing, rolling a little on the floor and then Kid had pinned Law down. He held him by the wrists, straddling his middle, smirking at his victory.

Completely none the wiser that he had just set off Law’s very first fluttery butterflies in his stomach.

Law remembered feeling his face go warm. He remembered falling quiet as Kid cackled playfully atop him, pronouncing that he had won before letting go and getting up to gather his blanket like nothing ever happened. Oblivious. Law swallowed thickly, hearing his heart pounding in his chest as he sat up, watching with wide eyes as Kid worked into combining their separated and ruined forts into one. He reached out when it was done, grabbing Law’s wrist, and pulling him into the sturdy structure to show off how much space there was for the both of them to sleep together on the inside.

Yeah. Law didn’t do very much sleeping that night. He spent it lying on his back, trying to still his beating heart while listening to soft snores coming from his crush – his _crush_ oh dear! – while staring up at the blanket topped ceiling. This… this could prove to be dangerous. If it was persistent. Law knew he had to be very careful if he didn’t want to ruin his friendship with Kid – even if it meant keeping his crush on him a secret…

**\---------**

When Kid was thirteen, his father tried to weasel his way back into his life.

“Ugh, I _hate_ you!” Kid shouted at the man who had abandoned his family, running up the stairs two at a time and slamming the door of his bedroom shut. He made sure to lock it before kicking it in anger, jumping onto his bed and burying his face in the pillow. He screamed into it, knuckles going white from how tightly he was gripping the darn thing as he let out his frustrations.

His father had divorced his mother when Kid was seven, but his parents had been separated for much longer than that. They had fought a lot too, over the tiniest things. Kid would remember being in his room, listening to the carrying voices of his parents from the living room about how unhappy they were, shouting at each other until the sun had set. His mother would cry so terribly it made Kid shake with helplessness and fear. He’d spend many nights in his bed sniffling, unable to sleep while the echo of his mother’s cries played in his head on repeat. His father hadn’t wanted anything to do with his son, was calling his marriage with his wife a ‘mistake’. Didn’t so much as lift a finger to help Kid with anything when he was a child. _“Go to your mother.”_ Was what he always said, ignoring him in favour of reading the newspaper or watching television. _“I don’t have time for you.”_

Kid couldn’t recall much of the divorce proceedings, but he knew his father had been happy not to have been sentenced with joint custody. He remembered the final meeting with his father before he had left town, how he had venomously told his ex-wife that _“that kid”_ was her _“problem”_ now. Then he had walked right out of Kid’s life, and had stayed out of there too.

Until today. Kid had come home from school with his best friend Law, planning on shooting a ball around in the backyard for practise for their school’s soccer team, and was greeted with his father sitting in the dining table with a coffee in hand. His mother was with him, clearly uneasy at the situation, looking just as nervous as Kid remembered her being all those years ago when around his father. Law had told Kid he’d speak to him later, gave him a quick squeeze of his hand in support, and left, sensing that this was a private affair that he was not wanted in.

 _“I was hoping we’d reconnect, son.”_ His old man had said. He wasn’t ‘Mr Eustass’; that was his mother’s maiden name, which Kid had wanted to go by after his father had left. _“I’m moving closer to town, and was thinking we could spend some weekends together. We can be a family again.”_

Nothing could begin to describe the rage that simmered through Kid at his father’s pathetic attempt at reconciliation. A family? Again? When had they been one in the first place? For _years_ it had been Kid and his mother, that’s it, tackling the world together one step at a time. Where had the man been when Kid needed him most? Those lonely nights where he was scared shitless at a noise he heard in the empty house while his mother was still out at work? What about when Kid had fallen off his bicycle and broken his leg? His first ever trophy for sport at school? All these years of Kid dealing with misplaced anger because of his deadbeat father and _now_ the man wanted back in? Not a chance. Kid had told his father exactly where to shove it – the colourful language picked up from some of the children in his class shocking both of his parents – before running up into his room.

There was a small tapping noise that Kid barely heard with his head still buried in his pillow. It happened a couple more times before the boy finally lifted his head and glanced at where he knew it would be coming from; the window. The one that was directly opposite Law’s room.

He stood from the bed, wiping away the watery tears from the sides of his eyes and made his way to the window. Kid slid it open, poking his head out to where Law was doing the exact same thing from his own room across the small space between the sides of their houses, a handful of small pebbles from his mother’s garden in his hands. “Are you alright, Eustass-ya?” Law asked him in a worried tone.

Kid sighed angrily, leaning against the windowsill. “No.” He admitted, tears threatening to fall from his eyes again. “It’s my stupid dad! He left my mum and me and now he’s back and-! And-!” He couldn’t finish his sentence, bottom lip quivering as he sniffled into his arms. “He _left_ Law.I can’t- I don’t know- What do I-… _ugh!_ I’m so confused!”

Law was quiet, eyebrows furrowed upward in concern as he tried to think of what to say to his best friend. “Do you want me to come over?” He asked.

Kid shook his head, still sniffling. “I can’t… It’s hard to talk about him.” Kid admitted with defeat. He struggled at times, stringing his words together when his emotions were heightened. Either they tumbled out of him like a snowball rolling down a mountain, or they were completely stuck in his throat. When it came to talking about his father, it was always the latter. He couldn’t even speak to his mother about it either, and she was the person he trusted most in the world.

Law bit his lip, before his eyes widened as an idea hit him. He told Kid to wait for a moment before retreating into his bedroom to grab something quickly.

“Eustass-ya,” Law called out softly, reappearing in the window. Kid glanced at him with bloodshot eyes, a mixture of sadness and anger on his face. He frowned in confusion when he saw what was in Law’s hands.

“Isn’t that your favourite stuffed animal?” Kid asked.

“Yes. You know Bepo. Now catch him.” Law said, swinging his toy into the air between his window and Kid’s and watching with satisfaction as the other caught it. “He’s from my old home in the North Line. My friend Penguin gifted it to me as a going-away present.” He explained. “When I first moved here, I talked to Bepo a lot whenever I was sad and missing my friends. I still speak to him now, when… when you’re not around.” A small blush appeared on his face. “He doesn’t say anything back, but it’s nice to talk to something that isn’t going to judge my feelings.” Law smiled. “You’re my friend now Eustass-ya. You can talk to me about anything and I know I can do the same with you. But I know that sometimes… sometimes it’s hard to do. Bepo makes it easy. He’s helped me so much. I think he can help you too.”

Kid sniffled, holding up the snow-white bear with the smile stitched on its face. “Talk to a stuffed animal? Really?”

“He’s magical.” Law said seriously, prompting Kid to raise his eyebrow. “Trust me. Keep him for a few days until you feel better. And if talking to him doesn’t help… just tap on my window okay?”

“Alright, Law.” Kid replied softly, clutching Bepo to his chest. “I’ll try. Thank you.”

Law smiled gently, saying goodbye and closing the window and the blinds to leave Kid alone with Bepo.

And it helped. Kid curled himself up in bed with the stuffed animal underneath his covers, trying to get over the _‘this is so stupid’_ thought that was running through his head before letting it all out. His anger at he and his mother being left, his frustrations with how his father expected him to simply be okay with coming back into his life… everything. He was still talking to Bepo when his mother came into his room and hour later with a hot cup of cocoa, sitting next to her son on the bed and stroking his hair affectionately.

“He’s not here anymore, Kid.” She told her son, an arm wrapped around his shoulder. “I told him it was up to you if you wanted to spend time with him. Since you said no, I sent him away. He’s no longer welcome in this house.”

Kid nodded, sipping his hot cocoa quietly, silently appreciative of his mother’s support. “I love you, ma.” He finally said.

“I love you too, kiddo. I know I’m not home all the time, but I hope you know that.”

Kid did. Even if his mother was out of the house more than she was in it with her various jobs taking up all her time, he knew that his mother cared for him and did everything she could to support him. That’s all he needed.

Well… maybe not _all_ he needed.

Kid glanced at the smiling Bepo on the bed. Law’s stuffed animal. The one he had only just started letting Kid touch after four years of friendship. He knew that he wouldn’t have been able to get through this without the help of his best friend. The plush toy meant a lot to the boy next door, which is why the gesture of letting Kid borrow it was so significant. Law… Law was always there for him when his mother was not. He helped Kid with his homework, he made him laugh during sleepover stories, he let Kid win at chess, and so much more. He was Kid’s best friend. Smart, kind, thoughtful… Yeah, that was Law. So Kid knew that even if his father came back and tried to talk to him again, he’d be alright. He had his mother, he had Bepo to talk to if he needed to vent.

And most importantly, he had Law.

**\---------**

When Law was thirteen, he was getting bullied at school.

“Seriously, such a nerd!”

“You think you’re on our level because you skipped a grade? Please!”

“Teacher’s pet!”

Law clutched his books tightly to his chest, glaring at the three other students in his year that had cornered him in the hallways. There was nobody around, which was just Law’s luck; of _course_ nobody ever saw when this crap happened as it was a good hour after school had ended. Honestly, he was getting sick of it. It was the same old unoriginal insults that he barely considered insults. Seriously? Nerd? He was studying to be a doctor like his parents, it was practically part of the job description. And it wasn’t his fault that his teachers liked calling on him for answers or thought he was capable enough to change classes. Law embraced his smarts, and he wasn’t going to stop now that his fellow peers had started to notice.

Still, it wasn’t pleasant that he had to put up with this.

“You three are so bothersome. Kindly move out of my way.” Law said through clenched teeth, trying to sound as collected as possible.

“Gosh. Is everyone from the North Line that pretentious?” One of the kids – Apoo – rolled his eyes.

“Says the person who wears frames with the glass popped out and only listens to music on a CD player because it’s more ‘authentic’.” Law countered, watching as Apoo’s eyes bulged out of his head in anger.

One of the friends beside him – a blonde-haired kid named Hawkins – snickered. “Please. You wouldn’t know taste if it hit you in the face.” He said with a snooty voice, his arms crossed in front of him as he stared down at the cornered teen.

“Speaking of ‘hit in the face’,” The final one of the three echoed, reaching up to crack his knuckles. He smirked widely, showing an array of missing teeth, a testament to the amount of fights this kid had been in. Law swallowed thickly, pressing himself up against the wall as the dark-haired teen approached, stepping in front of Apoo and Hawkins. This guy – Marshall Teach – was more menacing than the other two combined.

“Get away from me, Teach-ya.” Law hissed, his eyes darting to and fro, gauging whether there was an escape. The three had made a tight enclosure around him, trapping Law between the side of the locker and their bodies.

“Not before I ‘teach-ya’ a lesson for messing with my boy here.” Teach guffawed, raising a meaty fist. Law squeezed his eyes shut, turned his head to the side and waited for the impending pummelling, resigning himself to this fate. That was, until-

_CRASH!_

Shouts erupted from Law’s attackers. He opened his eyes and dropped his books, watching as Hawkins and Apoo had crashed to the ground and Teach was being pinned against the metal lockers by none other than-

“E-eustass-ya!” Law called, still frozen in place.

Kid didn’t look at Law, but that was probably for the better. Law hadn’t seen that look on his face since his father had surprise-visited him last month, and the seeping anger was currently directed at Teach.

“A-ack! You pipsqueak!” Teach cried out, baring his teeth – or rather, lack of.

“Not so fun being the one in that position huh?” Kid spat out, pulling Teach by the collar of his uniform only to push him back onto the lockers with a resounding _bang,_ digging his elbow into the other’s throat. Teach’s head hit it with a forceful impact, and he groaned from the pain. “You ever bother Law again and I’ll beat you black and blue, asshole.”

“I’d like to see you try! Apoo! Hawkins!”

The two lackeys stood from the floor, dusting themselves off before hearing the command from the lead bully. They glanced at each other dumbly before taking a step forward to approach Kid.

“You think I’m an idiot? Ha! Guys, come out!”

From the end of the corridor, three more figures appeared. Law recognised them as some of Kid’s fellow detention buddies, having become close friends after spending many hours after school stuck in a silent classroom under the watchful eye of one of the teachers. Killer, Wire, and Heat – Law knew them more by name than he did as individuals, had hung out with them when they visited Kid after school, but otherwise had very little interaction with them.

“U-uh oh,” Apoo gulped, stepping away from Kid and keeping an eye on the three emerging teens.

“Go get ‘em, idiot!” Teach barked, still held against the locker by Kid, now sounding more desperate than he did confident.

“I don’t think lady luck is on our side Teach,” Hawkins said calmly, though he too was stepping back. “Perhaps another time.”

Before Teach could ask what the hell that meant, Apoo and Hawkins had bolted down the hallway. Kid’s friends whooped in delight before chasing after them, laughing manically as they disappeared around the corner.

“As for you,” Kid hissed, finally letting up on his hold. Teach sucked in a deep breath, fingers decorated with plastic jewellery reaching out to massage his throat. “If I catch you giving Law a hard time again, I won’t go so easy on ya. Understand?”

Teach growled but – smartly – didn’t attempt to fight back. “This isn’t over, pipsqueak.” He threatened. “Watch your back, Kid.” And with that, Teach was running down the hallway.

That left a stunned Law and a trembling Kid alone in the hallway. “E-eustass-ya, what are you doing here?”

“You said you’d be studying in the library while you waited for me to finish with that stupid detention Mr Garp set me. When I didn’t see you there, the others and I went looking. That idiot Teach has a voice that echoes.” Kid started saying, finally turning towards his friend. “Are you okay?”

Law chewed his bottom lip, nodding. “Idiot-ya. You’ll just get in more trouble if they tell.”

“I don’t care. Let ‘em talk. They ain’t got a leg to stand on anyhow.” Kid said stubbornly, bending down to pick up Law’s discarded books. Law helped him, gathering some of the loose-leaf notes he had made that had fluttered to the floor when he dropped the stack. “They been bothering you long?”

Law nodded, accepting the books from Kid and holding them close to his chest again, the two standing up. “Yeah. Ever since I moved up.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Kid asked, a worried look on his face. “I could have helped earlier if I knew.”

“This is the first time they were going to hit me.” Law explained, feeling tremendously lucky that Kid had spotted them when he did. He lightly bumped Kid’s shoulder with his own. “You saved me from that.”

“Well if they bother you again, call me.” Unexpectedly, Kid reached out to wrap an arm around Law’s shoulders. Law knew it was a friendly gesture, but darn if it didn’t make him blush all the same, and bring back those nausea-inducing butterfly flutters in the pit of his stomach. “And next time, wait for me in the library like you said you would, dork.” Kid teased, turning them around so that they were walking towards the exit of the school.

Law scoffed, pressing himself close to Kid’s side, enjoying the close contact, even though he felt like it meant more to him than it did for Kid. “Maybe don’t get in detention so often, delinquent, and I wouldn’t have to wait at all.” He teased back.

Kid laughed, drawing Law closer to him as they exited the school to walk home together, still so oblivious to Law’s beating heart so close to his fingertips.

**\---------**

When Kid was fourteen, he had his first kiss.

It was with a girl from his science class. Jewellery Bonney was confident and loud, walked like she owned the place, and had made quite the name for herself in her short time being at the school since transferring a month ago. She piercings on her face, constantly got in trouble for modifying her uniform to fit in a more ‘punk’ aesthetic, and had pastel pink hair that ran down her back. She was known amongst her classmates as the girl with a black hole for a stomach, considering she had the ability to wolf down anything she could get her hands on and still feel hungry afterwards. Other than sharing a love for piercings – which Kid also had – and tattoos, Kid hadn’t ever really spoken with her but, they ended up being paired for an experiment. Kid was in the middle of setting up the Bunsen Burner when she spoke to him.

“You’re really cute Kid.” She said straightforwardly, twirling some of her long pink hair with a black-painted fingernail.

“Uh, thanks. You too?” Kid responded without thinking, glancing again at her eyebrow piercing and contemplating if he’d be able to rock that look.

“Wanna pash after school?”

“Huh?”

Bonney rolled her eyes, leaning across the table with a smirk on her face. “Wanna _make-out_ after school, hot stuff?”

Kid stared at her for a good minute before he stammered out “u-uh sure”, and once the final bell had rang he texted Law to walk home by himself today. He and Bonney made their way to the back of the school and… well, made-out. It was awkward. Kid didn’t really have to do anything since Bonney happily took control by cupping his face and mashing their lips together in a sloppy wet kiss. He didn’t know what to do with his arms, letting them hang limply at his sides until Bonney grabbed his hands and placing them directly on her chest. For the first time, he copped a feel of a womanly body, and he wasn’t sure how he felt about it. He kinda just stood there, took whatever Bonney was giving him, and waited for it to be over.

On his walk home, he thought about how weird the entire kiss had been and why he wasn’t feeling as excited or nervous as some of his friends had been when they had their first. His close friend Killer had called him on the phone almost immediately after his, proudly recalling every tiny detail about how great it was and how he couldn’t wait to do it again. Kid didn’t feel that way at all.

Maybe there was something wrong with him?

When Kid got home he read the note left by his mum on the counter – ‘working late again tonight, dinner @ Trafalgar’s’ – and grabbed his homework from his bag to take with him to his neighbour’s house. Since meeting years ago as children when Law’s family had moved in, the two had gotten close. Law was Kid’s best friend, and they could talk about anything. So, Kid was going to ask Law what his first kiss was like.

“I haven’t had mine yet.” Law told him. The two were lying down on their bellies on the carpeted floor of Law’s bedroom, working on their homework together. Well, more like Kid was waiting for Law to do the hard calculations before copying after him. He swears that if it hadn’t been for Law’s smarts he wouldn’t be passing anything at school.

“Huh. Well, it wasn’t that great.”

“Yeah?”

“Mhm.” Kid hummed, sighing slightly and scratching the back of his head. “Plus when Bonney wanted me to open my mouth she stepped on my foot and we almost fell back into those thorny bushes the gardener at the school keeps planting.”

“Ah yes. His ruthless quest for quiet revenge against the students at Grand Line High.” Law chuckled, resting his chin in his hand as he looked upon the confused face of Kid. “Perhaps you didn’t enjoy it because you don’t like Bonney.”

“I do like her. She’s pretty cool. Let me feel up her boobs.”

Law snorted and shook his head. “No, I mean… well, you don’t know her right? She’s only been in your class for a month and other than science do you ever really speak to her?”

Kid sat up, contemplating Law’s point. “…Nah, not really. Actually I was surprised she asked at all.”

“I’m not.” Law mumbled under his breath, soft enough so that Kid couldn’t hear it. He sat up too, scooting over so that he was sitting next to the red-haired boy, their knees knocking together.

“So you think if I got to know her some more, our next kiss would be better?” Kid asked him.

“ _Or,_ you could just try kissing someone you like now.” Law replied softly. “Like… U-um… You could kiss _me._ ” Law continued.

Kid was quiet, glancing over to the side to stare at Law. The boy’s face was tinted in pink, his grey eyes holding the gaze of Kid’s own, and while Kid couldn’t see it Law’s heart was pounding so hard in his chest from the very bold and confident move he had put. “…Okay…” Kid whispered.

The kiss that Kid shared with Law was more natural than the one he had with Bonney, that was for sure. They both leaned into it, tilting their head to opposite sides as their lips met slowly. It wasn’t the violently charged squishing of faces together like it had been with Bonney; it was experimental in the softest of ways, all sweet and tender and… _right._ Kid found himself closing his eyes, a tingling feeling spreading from his lips to the rest of his body, and Law reached to grasp Kid’s shoulders to keep himself steady as they clumsily – but gently – explored each other for the first time in a new way. Kid was sure they were going to kiss forever and would have been happy to do so until-

“MUUUUUUM! LAW AND KID ARE KISSING!!”

Lami shrieked from the front of Law’s room, and the teenage boys parted so quickly they each fell back onto the floor, knocking some of Law’s possessions around with them. Law – red-faced and puffy lipped – wiped his mouth and glared at his little sister. “Lami! Why didn’t you knock!?”

“Kid? Law honey, is everything okay?” Law’s mother asked, coming up the stairs after hearing Lami shout for her.

“W-we’re fine Mrs Trafalgar.” Kid said quickly, his blush more apparent on his pale skin than Law’s was.

“Mama! Law and Kid were-”

“Just finishing up our homework.” Law interrupted his sister, picking up one of his books and showing the completed pages to his mother. “That’s all!”

Mrs Trafalgar raised an eyebrow, scanning the room and the state of the two boys before a small, knowing smile appeared on her face. “I see,” she said, crossing her arms in front of her. “Well, since you’re both done with that, how about you come down for dinner? Kid, I’ve made some extra for you to take home in case your mother is working late again tomorrow.”

“T-thanks.” The red-haired boy said, standing up from the floor quickly. They all waited for Mrs Trafalgar to leave the room in awkward silence, Lami glancing between Kid and her brother wide-eyed.

“Why were you kissing? Are you in love like mama and papa?”

“N-no! It’s not like that Lami!” Law sputtered out, glancing worriedly at Kid.

“Y-yeah! It was just a joke kiss right Law?” Kid asked the other, missing the hurt look in Law’s eyes at the work ‘joke’ .

Lami pouted, crossing her arms in front of her and sticking out her bottom lip. “No fair. I want to kiss Kid too-”

 _“No.”_ Law hissed, reaching out to grab his sister’s shoulders and steer her out of the room. “Tell mum we’ll be down in a minute.”

Law closed the door after his sister had left, turning to look at Kid standing awkwardly in the middle of the room. Law was biting his lip, embarrassment in his eyes as he quickly apologised to Kid about his family’s intrusion.

“It’s fine,” Kid assured him, trying to ignore the fact that he had just _made out_ with his _best friend_ and it felt _fantastic._ Like how a first kiss should be.

He was so confused. Should he tell Law that he liked it a lot more than he thought he would? Or would that ruin their friendship?

“I-I’m glad we did that, Eustass-ya.” Law said quietly. “Did that help you… solve the problem?”

“I think so.” Kid replied. “Thanks for that Law. You’re a really great friend.”

Kid didn’t realise it then as he walked out of the room to get himself a nice helping of some of Mrs Trafalgar’s home cooked dinner, but the light had practically sucked out of Law’s eyes at the _very clear_ boundary that was being set with the finality of his words; ‘friend’. By this point in their friendship, Law and Kid knew practically everything about each other. Except, of course, for the raven-haired teen’s huge harboured secret about his crush on his neighbour. Law thought he’d have had more time to build up the courage to say something, but here Kid was, kissing random girls without a thought in the world about how that might turn their world upside down. Calling Law his ‘friend’ when Law wanted to be so much more than that to Kid.

 _Darn._ Law sighed, walking to the dining room where Kid was already very much at home among the rest of his family. Laughing with Law’s father and mother, pulling faces at Lami to make her giggle… he fit in so well already. The only thing missing was Kid returning that crush Law had on him.

“Saved ya seat!” Kid told Law when the other walked in, patting the chair next to him. Law approached slowly, still able to feel the wonderful warmth of Kid’s lips against his own when they had kissed moments ago. It might have been experimental for Kid, but it was more than that for Law. It was confirmation that Kid was the only person he wanted to be kissing from now on.

Problem was… how was Law going to get Kid to like him back?

**\---------**

When Kid was sixteen, he almost didn’t attend his first school dance.

“Ah, Mr Eustass. Fancy seeing you here. In detention. _Again._ ” Professor Sengoku said irritably, glancing up from the papers he was marking at the knock on the door of his classroom. A dishevelled looking Kid with a fresh purple-and-blue bruise on his face and a sheepish Law behind him stepped inside the quiet, empty room. “And you’ve decided to drag down Mr Trafalgar here with you this time, though I suppose he too is accountable for what transpired today at lunch.”

“It wasn’t Law’s fault!” Kid shouted, immediately coming to his friend’s rescue, positioning himself in front of Law like a protective barrier. “That transfer student Drake has been giving him shit for no reason! He should be here just as much as we should!”

“Watch your tone, Mr Eustass.” Professor Sengoku warned, standing from his seat. The man was one of the nicer and kinder teachers they had at school, but he was still highly intimidating, towering over the students with his tall height and hefty build.

“But it’s not fair!” Kid argued.

“Eustass-ya, please,” Law spoke up from behind his friend, resting a hand on his shoulder. “It’s alright. I _did_ insult Drake-ya first.”

“But he threw the first punch at you!”

“Which I _dodged,_ you didn’t need to get involved!”

“I was helping!”

“You made things worse!”

“ENOUGH!” Professor Sengoku shouted, silencing the both of them with his booming voice. He pointed at the seats in the room. “Sit down!”

The students followed the instruction, scrambling to get into a seat and set their bags down, not wanting to get into any more trouble than they already were. Which, at this point, was huge. The new student Drake and Law had butted heads ever since the other had transferred over to the Grand Line a couple of months ago. Law despised him after Drake completely stole his notes for an assessment task in their shared History class and had taken highest grade, passing it off as his own research when he hadn’t lifted a finger to do any of the work. They typically spat out bitter insults when they crossed paths in the corridors or the lunch hall, but Drake had seemed particularly irritable today and decided to use his fists instead of his words to communicate his dislike for Law. Unfortunately for Drake, Kid was there. And boy did he see all shades of red when he saw the brunette boy take a swing at Law.

“Now. Mr Drake isn’t here because he’s still in the infirmary.” Professor Sengoku explained, narrowing his eyes at Kid. “This is not the first time you’ve been in detention for fighting, Mr Eustass, but this was too far. You knocked him unconscious.”

“You didn’t hear what he was saying Professor, I swear it was self-defence!” Kid tried to say, though it was clear Sengoku wasn’t having any of it.

“I’ll need to talk with your mother and set up yet another meeting with the principal. You’re looking at third suspension, Mr Eustass, from school and all its activities. This one will be a week long.”

“Damn it.” Kid cursed through clenched teeth, slumping in his chair.

Law raised his hand. “Professor, if I may?” Sengoku nodded, raising an eyebrow at the politeness he wasn’t used to seeing from students that were placed on detention. “I was the one who hit Drake-ya, not Eustass-ya.”

Kid turned to him, mouth agape and eyes wide – as much as he could anyway, with a swollen black eye. Professor Sengoku looked sceptical, already shaking his head. “Mr Trafalgar, you haven’t got a scratch on you. I find it very difficult to believe you were as involved in this fight as Kid was.”

“I’ve been taking taekwondo since I was a child, so I’m quite good at hand-to-hand combat. Enough to know where my enemy is going to attack so that I can dodge and defend myself.” Law said. Kid – having known Law for half his life now – didn’t say a word despite knowing that this was all one big fat lie. Law hadn’t taken any kind of martial art class as a kid, and any ‘fighting’ he knew how to do was loosely based off of his rough-housing with Kid when they had been children. “Drake-ya tried to hit me first, I dodged, and then hit him back. Eustass-ya only got involved at the end when a wayward punch landed on his face. I’m sure if you ask the others that were there with us, they’d tell you the same thing.”

The smooth explanation had Professor Sengoku frowning, which sparked hope in the two boys. If there was any doubt about the situation, it was possible that they could get off scot free, or perhaps with a lesser sentence. “You’re the one who gave Mr Drake the concussion?”

“That was me,” Kid said, raising a hand. “It was the knockout punch. He was… uh, already pretty beat up when I got involved.” He glanced at Law, wondering if what he said was okay because it effectively put him under the bus. But Law nodded in agreement, determined to take the bullet for his friend who had tried to defend him at lunch today.

The spontaneous plan seemed to work. Professor Sengoku’s eyebrows furrowed in concentration as he glanced between the two. “Hm. And who was with you, when this happened?”

“Luffy-ya and his friends. They were still in the lunch hall when the fight started.” Law said quickly, glancing at Kid. “Right, Eustass-ya? If Professor Sengoku were to _contact_ them by _phone,_ they’ll tell the truth.”

Kid blinked, trying to understand the subtle message that Law was sending his way. When it dawned on him he nodded quickly, turning back to the Professor. “U-uh yeah! They were there. B-by the way, Professor, I like, really gotta use the can.” 

“Use the _bathroom,_ Mr Eustass.” Sengoku corrected. “And you’ll need a note. Leave your bag here please.”

While Sengoku’s back was turned, Law took out his mobile phone from his pocket and passed it into Kid’s waiting hand. Kid slipped it inside his shirt so that it wouldn’t make an outline in his pants pocket, taking the note from Sengoku’s hands when he was done with it and making a beeline for the door. Kid didn’t have Luffy’s number in his phone, or any of the guy’s friends, so if he ever did want to speak to the excitable boy – which was rarely – he’d use Law’s instead. Once he was safely out of the way of the detention room, Kid hid in the bathroom and took out the phone to call Luffy and tell him the plan; that he and Law were in serious trouble, and that he needed the other to lie if Professor Sengoku called him up to his office tomorrow.

Meanwhile, in the detention room, Sengoku had sat himself behind his desk and was staring at Law with disappointment in his eyes. “I’m surprised Mr Trafalgar. You’re one of our top students at this school with nothing against your permanent record so far. Are you… Mr Trafalgar, are you covering up for Mr Eustass? Is he threatening you in any way?”

“He’s not.” Law said quickly. “It was me. Kid saw that I was in trouble, and came to help. That’s all.”

“I’m still not convinced you’d be capable of putting a student in the infirmary Mr Trafalgar, but until I hear otherwise from one of the witnesses, I’ll keep it in mind.” Professor Sengoku said. “You’re looking at a day’s suspension if it really was you who fought with Drake since it’s a first offence.”

“I understand. It was childish of me to react the way I did. It’s only fitting to have a punishment accordingly prescribed.” Law told him with a shrug, reaching for his bag to take out some of his homework. “We get to do homework in detention correct? May I get started?”

Bewildered at the cavalier attitude Law was displaying, a shocked Sengoku slowly nodded, still unsure of how to deal with this situation. Kid returned shortly after, directed to his chair by the Professor and also told to take out his work and complete it silently for the next hour.

When detention was over and Law and Kid were walking home side-by-side, Kid blurted out a question that was repeating itself in his brain. “Why’d you lie? It was me who beat up Drake, not you.”

Law shrugged. “Perhaps he’ll forget that once his concussion is over.” He said with amusement, continuing to walk forward while Kid stood still at the response. The red-haired boy jogged until he was in front, stepping in Law’s way and crossing his arms.

“That doesn’t answer my question. Why did you lie? I didn’t ask you to do that.”

“You didn’t have to. I’m your best friend. It’s my job to support you.” Law told him, as if it were the simplest thing in the world.

“But now you’re in trouble. Sengoku’s going to suspend you, your parents are going to freak out, and Drake’s most likely going to get away! You should have just let it be me!” Kid told him.

Law shook his head, side-stepping Kid and quickening his pace so that he could get home as soon as possible. “You’ve been in too much trouble already. Besides, didn’t you hear the Professor? You’ll be banned from school events since it’ll be your third suspension. That means you won’t be allowed to attend the school dance.” Law turned to face him, his expression slightly sour. “And I know how excited you are to take Miss _Bonney_ with you.”

Kid frowned, reaching for Law’s shoulder to stop him from walking. “Why do you say her name like that? Like she’s something… gross.”

“Because she is.” Law said calmly, though his expression had turned dark. “She eats like a pig and burps loudly in people’s faces, and she has no regard whatsoever for decorum or rules and it’s _gross._ I can’t believe you even want to ask her to go with you.”

“Well who else am I going to ask?” Kid argued irritably. “I’m not interested in anyone else, and she’s the only girl I can tolerate. Well, other than Nami, but she can’t stand me after I accidentally threw that mud ball in her face when we were in preschool.”

Law was quiet, glancing away from Kid, unable to meet his eyes. “…Who says you have to take a girl anyway?” He muttered.

Kid’s heart stopped beating.

“What… what are you saying, Law?” Kid asked slowly.

“N-nothing. Listen, I need to get home. My parents have a late-shift so I have to get Lami ready for dinner and bed. Goodbye, Eustass-ya.” Law stammered quickly, turning on his heel and making his way home in a brisk walk. Kid watched on, rooted in place, trying to process what exactly his best friend was insinuating.

This wasn’t the first time Law had said something strange or did something weird before bolting off, pretending like it didn’t even happen. There had been that one time at Kid’s house, when they were watching a movie and Law had been sitting so close to Kid they were almost cuddling, claiming that he was only doing it because he felt cold despite the fact that it was super warm in the house and Kid was sweating from the heat. Or at school last month, when one of their classmates asked if they were a couple Law kinda played along for a few minutes, not bothered at all that their close friendship was mistaken for something more. Another time Kid had been talking about Bonney and her new navel ring when Law asked Kid if he’d look good with piercing before joking about how it would make him more desirable to certain people…

The cogs in Kid’s mind turned, and he realised something very important right then.

Law was jealous of Bonney. It had nothing to do with friendship since they were close as could be. It was more than that, and it just hit Kid like a tonne of bricks why his best friend acted so strange around him sometimes.

There was a strong possibility that Law liked Kid. More than a friend.

“Idiot.” Kid muttered about himself, finally letting the pieces of their past fall into place. He had missed all the signs, dismissing what he thought to be ‘coincidences’ as nothing more than mistakes on Law’s part. There was a reason that Law didn’t bother pulling his blinds when changing in and out of his clothes in front of the window in his room; he _wanted_ Kid to see his body. It made sense that Law had been so shy around Kid after their first kiss, and how his face would always turn a light shade of pink when the other joked about doing it again. It certainly explained Law’s secret stash of porn magazines which Kid had discovered by mistake one day while hanging out in his room, noticing that it was mostly made up of the gay variety.

His best friend was in love with him, and Kid had been completely oblivious. Now that he knew though, all he could think about was that he too felt strongly about Law. He loved his best friend, perhaps not in the same way Law loved him, but it was enough for Kid to want to try and explore these new-found emotions.

Mind made up on how to address this, Kid ran to get home. He wasn’t going to be taking Bonney to the dance; he was going to ask his best friend instead.

That night, Kid had thrown a pebble at Law’s closed window. Soon, the raven-haired boy had opened it up curiously. “Hey.” He greeted quietly, glancing at the door behind him. “Can’t be too loud. Lami’s sleeping.”

“I won’t keep ya long.” Kid assured, leaning forward and stretching out his arm. In his hand was a single flower, picked directly from his mother’s garden.

“What’s this?” Law asked, reaching across the gap and taking the flower. He brought it up to his nose, inhaling the scent and glancing at Kid with curiosity in his eyes.

“That is me apologising for being a jackass today at school. I did kinda make things worse when I got involved in your fight.”

Law chuckled, cradling the flower gently. “I’ve long forgiven you for that. That’s just who you are, Eustass-ya. Loyal to a fault. And that’s why I lo- uh, like you.”

“Good.” Kid smirked. “’Cause I can’t have my date to the dance be mad at me.”

Kid wanted to laugh at the ‘oh shit’ look that crossed Law’s face, a mixture of confusion and panic. The well-spoken boy was rendered speechless, looking across at his neighbour in shock. “H-huh?”

“You. Me. Dance on Friday. What do you say?”

“I-I thought you were taking Miss Bonney-ya?” Law asked.

Kid scrunched up his nose. “Nah. You’re right, she’s gross. I really only hang around her ‘cause she said she could get me a discount on my sixth piercing.”

“Then… why me? I thought you wanted to ask a girl to the dance.” Law asked quietly, his grip on the flower tightening.

“Because I like you more than any other girl I know.” Kid explained, taking delight in the deep blush that appeared on Law’s face. “You’re my best friend Law. We’ve been through it all by now. I should have asked you from the start and I’m an idiot for not seeing it sooner.”

“People will talk, Eustass-ya.” Law said worriedly. “I don’t want you to get hurt.”

“If they’re talking about us, then we probably don’t even care enough about them anyway. Let ‘em say what they want. We’ll have fun either way. So… you wanna go with me? Maybe?”

Law contemplated the offer for a moment before a smile stretched across his face. He nodded eagerly. “Yes. Of course I’ll accompany you to the dance.”

“Then it’s date.” Kid said with a wink, feeling like a huge weight had been lifted off of his shoulders at Law’s acceptance.

When Friday arrived, Kid and his mother rang the doorbell of the Trafalgar house. Kid was dressed in a suit his mother had managed to find at a flea market sale that fit him just right, his unruly red hair was tamely slicked back, and in his hand was a corsage, made up of the flowers from his mother’s garden, wrapped in a pale blue ribbon. Mr Trafalgar opened the door, a wide smile on his face as he greeted the two and invited them in.

“You clean up nicely there Kid.” He commented, shaking Kid’s hand firmly.

“Thanks Doc.” Kid responded, before groaning at the camera his mother produced from her purse. “Ma, really? Law’s not even down here yet.”

“You look so handsome Kid. Come on, a photo with Doctor Trafalgar.” She said, lifting up the camera.

The two continued to shake hands, smiling into the camera as it flashed and clicked. Mrs Trafalgar and Lami entered the room too, greeting Kid with a hug and also participated in the photo-taking, alternating between posing with Kid or taking one of he and his mother together. The house was filled with laughter, but Kid was stunned into silence when he finally saw Law at the top of the stairs.

He hadn’t ever seen his best friend in a suit, and it was sight to behold. It was one of Mr Trafalgar’s suits, Kid recognised that much, but it fit his long frame well and the colour matched his sparkling grey eyes. When Law saw Kid, his face turned into a lovely crimson, and he paused at the top of the stairs to take in the sight of how good-looking his crush was. “H-hey Eustass-ya.”

“H-hey yourself.”

“Oh,” Kid’s mother commented, putting a hand over her chest as Kid reached out to help Law down the last few steps. “They look adorable together.”

“Sweetie, do you have your corsage for Kid?” Mrs Trafalgar asked.

“O-oh yeah, Lami was putting the ribbon on it.” Law answered.

“Right here! Go ahead, put it on him!” Lami said excitedly, shoving the flowers from her mother’s garden into her brother’s hands. Law glared at Lami’s poor treatment of the flowers, which were already missing a few petals, before taking a deep breath and tying the bundle around Kid’s wrist. Kid did the same with his corsage, and Mr Trafalgar asked the two to smile for the first of a series of ‘Kid & Law’ photographs.

“D-dad really, that’s enough by now right?” Law said, the sides of his cheeks hurting from how much he was smiling. Not all of it was for the camera – despite his nervousness, he was really happy to be attending the dance with Kid.

“One more. Maybe outside next to the rosebushes.”

Law rolled his eyes as the parents and Lami rushed out the front door. Kid chuckled beside him, holding onto his hand and pulling him back when he made a move to follow. “What’s up?” Law asked.

“I didn’t get a chance to do this yet.”

Before Law knew it, Kid’s face was inches away from his own and soon their lips were pressed together in their second kiss. Law’s eyes fluttered shut and he gripped Kid’s shoulders while the other rested his hands on his waist. It was just as wonderful and exhilarating as their first had been, filling Law’s mind of sweet memories from the friendship they had shared since their first meeting eight years ago.

It was perfect, utterly beautiful, and Law hated that they parted so quickly. “Come on. Best not leave them waiting or they might walk in on us. Like last time.” Kid laughed.

“Oh yes. Lami wouldn’t shut up about it.” Law said with a roll of his eyes, remembering how he had to bribe his little sister with chocolate and lollies to stop her from talking about how she had seen Kid and Law kissing in her brother’s bedroom.

They walked into the front garden, stifling groans as their mothers and Law’s father gushed over how well-suited they were for each other. They took a few more pictures next to the rosebush, smiling at the camera, their hands loosely holding onto each other’s waists in a half-hug position. When Mrs Eustass deemed she had enough, she put the camera away and they all wished the boys a lovely night.

At the dance, people had stared. Some in shock, because they hadn’t realised that Kid and Law could possibly have been more than friends. Some stared in awe, offering a supportive smile to the couple as they held hands and walked to the dance floor. Some were even confused, especially Bonney, who thought that Kid would be asking her to come to the dance with him.

But the couple didn’t particularly care what looks were being given their way. They were too happy being with each other to even notice what was going on around them. Kid and Law were best friends; best friends that maybe liked each other a little more than normal. It didn’t matter if other students had an opinion about the way they felt about each other, because it wouldn’t change anything. It wouldn’t change Law’s years-long crush on the kid who had somehow stolen his heart in the course of their friendship, and it certainly wouldn’t change Kid’s determination to explore his newly discovered feelings for Law. 

“You know…” Kid said, swaying lightly to the soft music, his hands on Law’s hips as they moved together. “When we first kissed, I was worried that I ruined our friendship. I think now it just made us stronger.”

“It did,” Law muttered, his head resting on Kid’s shoulder. “If you don’t count the fact that you totally friend zoned me right after it happened.”

Kid laughed, and Law lifted his head to pout. “Sorry! I had no idea that you liked me. Otherwise I wouldn’t have said somethin’ stupid.”

“Hm, I doubt that Eustass-ya. You always say stupid things, you delinquent you.” Law teased.

“It worked on you, didn’t it, dork?”

They laughed together, not a trace of awkwardness or apprehension anymore. Law once again leaned his head on Kid’s shoulder, wrapping his arms around his waist and letting the other sway their bodies side to side. Their friendship had changed, but that wasn’t a bad thing. It was transformed, modified, strengthened, and would continue to do so over the years. Whatever the future held, the two boys did not know. But for the moment, Law and Kid were in this together.

And there was no place either of them would rather be.


End file.
